Viva La Vida
by The Story Of Your Life
Summary: How was she supposed to know that their worlds were connected? Or that she was wanted in one world, and a runaway in the other? Life can only get more complicated when she finds herself on the Grid. Rated T for safety reasons.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

"_I'm the first one in line to die, When the cavalry comes, Yeah it feels like the great divide, Has already come, Yeah I'm wasting my way through days losing youth along the way..._"

Blackness. Empty blackness surrounded her as she slowly opened her eyes. It was like an endless expense of darkness that crept around her. And she hated it. The feeling of loneliness and knowing that she failed.

She bit the bottom of her lip as she tried to remember what had happened.

Her memory of the last few hours were so faint that it was hard to piece them together. But she could remember something.

A face.

It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. A broad, powerful figure standing in front of her, whispering words of comfort. She remembered how gentle he was as she died in his arms. How he had stayed by her side until the bitter end.

A sob racked her body when the picture faded, leaving her alone again. There was no point in going on. Not when she had lost. Not when there wasn't any hope left.

"_Oh if God is on my side, Oh if God is on my side, Yeah if God is on my side Then who can be against me..._"

The blackness had suddenly begun to disappear. Her eyes opened a little wider as she realized that she wasn't alone. Voices buzzed around her. Worried voices, along with a loud, annoying beeping sound.

Finally she could see that the people standing around her were family. Friends and family standing around together, watching with worried expressions. She straightened up a little, only to feel a gentle hand push her down.

"Get some rest sweetie," a familiar voice told her. She looked to her bedside and saw a woman watching her with concern. "You had a nasty accident, with injuries we've never seen before," she explained.

She stared at the woman for a long moment before closing her eyes. Then she suddenly remembered.

A small gasp escaped her lungs as she pictured everything, the world she had once called home.

The Grid. A wide expanse of open code that was free for anyone to control. Or so she once thought. The moment she woke up in that world she realized just how wrong she was. On the Grid she was viewed as the enemy.

Programs hated her just because of who she was. And she had caused all of their problems to get worse.

"_There was a greatness I thought for awhile, But somehow it changed, Some kind of blindness I used to protect me From all of my stains, Yeah I wish this was vertigo But it just feels like I'm falling slow..._"

"Do you want to tell us what happened?" another voice, this one male, asked. She looked up to see an older gentlemen with white hair, resembling the program who had been with her when she died.

She remembered how gentle that program had been. How he had said that she was destined for greater things in the real world. A small smile played along her lips, the first in a long time.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," she replied.

The man smirked back and put his hands in his suit's pockets. "Why don't you try me?" he asked.

"_In this wasteland where I'm livin', There is a crack in the door filled with light, And it's all that I need to get by In this wasteland where I'm livin', There is a crack in the door filled with light And it's all that I need to shine..._"

She was running for her life, yet again. People were shouting from behind as she ran around the corner, trying to avoid the crowd. How many times she had done this was beyond her. The authority had never really liked her to begin with.

She didn't come looking for trouble. Trouble came looking for her. At least that was how she saw things. All she wanted was something to eat.

With no money or a job to hold, she had to hope that there would be food on the table when she got to her shabby apartment. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. Her mother wouldn't approve of this at all if she was actually around. At once she laughed at the thought of her mother.

What a joke she was. If her mother was actually around than maybe she wouldn't be in this mess. She shook her head at the thought as she reached another alley.

By now the cops had fallen behind. She could breathe a sigh of relief for a moment and enjoy what she had taken.

It wasn't much, but an apple was something that would keep her going for the rest of the day. She pulled the fruit out of her bag and ate it quickly, relishing the sweet yet tart flavor. She glanced over her shoulder one last time before tossing the core into the dumpster beside her.

With that said and done, she headed over to her favorite hang out.

Flynn's arcade was a place she used to hang out all the time when going to school. To most people she was just another high school drop out. And they would be right. Again she could thank her mother for that.

It wasn't like anyone was ever around to check on her. The only other person she had ever cared for had moved away a few months ago. Her best friend, and the only other person who understood her, was gone. Sure they had sent mail to each other and talked on the phone, but it wasn't the same.

She pulled apart the chained fence and put it back together again before stepping inside. Flynn's arcade had closed down years ago after his disappearance. A few games were covered in bags to keep them protected from the dust.

None of the games were in operation. She drew her fingers along some of the old systems and tried to relish the memories she had here. Things really hadn't changed that much over the years. Looking up she noticed the TRON arcade game that had stood out more than any other.

According to the stories she heard, it was one of Flynn's favorite games. He held the highest score, and no one had been able to beat him. With the slightest smirks she leaned down and picked up a quarter she had left the last time she was here.

She spent a lot of time here when she wanted to think. Being surrounded by such old games made her feel strangely at home. Maybe it was because her mom used to be such a history geek. She smiled for a moment before heading over to the TRON game.

Maybe just one more night in the arcade wouldn't be such a bad thing.

"_All of these people I meet, It seems like they're fine Yeah in some ways I hope that they're not, And their hearts are like mine It's wrong when it seems like work, To belong all I feel is hurt_..."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So this is the beginning of a new story I've been planning for a few weeks now. I know that Tron isn't necessarily a popular Fanbase, but I really wanted to post this :) Please let me know what you think of it so far, and if I should continue!<strong>

**Lyrics are from the song Wasteland by NEEDTOBREATHE**


	2. Chapter One

**AN: For those of you who are no familiar with my works, I'm mostly in the How to Train Your Dragon section and Avengers area... this is my first official Tron Uprising FF. I'm really excited to see where it goes, especially since I have tons of ideas for it. Please let me know what you thought of it!**

**Also wanted to warn everyone that there will be lyrics posted in this story. Lyrics are in italics, and ahead of time I don't own any of them. Just thought I'd point that out :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

(**Beck's POV**)

"Great, just great," Beck grumbled under his breath as he sped through the traffic. "Of all the times to be running late!"

Things had gone from bad to worse when Clu moved into Argon. There were more soldiers running disk scans, and more programs were being sent to the games every day. Beck was constantly working himself to the grind trying to keep programs from feeling Clu's effect.

It didn't help that Tron was always making sure that he was kept busy. In fact ever since Tron had fully healed from his scars, he'd gotten worse. Beck wasn't even sure how that was possible given everything they'd been through.

Finally he reached the garage and pulled to a stop, sighing in relief when he only just made it back in time. Mara was waiting for him impatiently as he got off his light cycle.

"Where have you been?" she asked once he followed her into what was once Able's garage.

"Running that delivery like you asked me to," he replied, more out of habit than anything else. Mara frowned and turned to face him, a look of concern showing in her eyes.

"Beck, that was nearly four Pectrocycles ago!" she exclaimed. He bit the bottom of his lip and looked at his friend guiltily. "All you do is make excuses, and frankly, I'm getting tired of it," she sighed after shaking her head in disbelief. "We're lucky to even be working here, especially after what happened when Pavel tried to take over."

"Come on Mara, I'm sure that Beck had a good reason for being late," Zed said as he greeted them.

He'd been busy fixing a light copter that was sent over by General Tesler. Something about the blade not functioning when the Renegade had attacked his ship. Beck tried not to smirk at the memory. Tesler had not been happy that cycle.

"Yeah, I was just..." Beck stopped himself short as Mara folded her arms and listened for his latest excuse. He glanced at Zed, hoping his friend would offer some help.

"Hey, Mara, don't forget about tonight!" Zed suddenly chimed in. Beck held back a sigh of relief as Zed wrapped his arm around Mara's shoulder playfully. She looked at him in confusion before he went on, "you know, club, having some fun for a change."

Mara's eyes widened as if she had suddenly remembered something out of Zed's reminder.

"Oh, right!" She smiled and brushed his arm off before looking back at Beck. "Are you coming too? We're closing early so the others can take a break."

Beck looked at her in surprise before realizing how little time he spent with his friends. Maybe a cycle off wouldn't be such a bad thing. Lately he had been working to the bit thanks to Tron. Besides, he missed hanging out at the club.

"Sure, it sounds like fun," he replied with a sheepish grin.

She only grinned back before shoving Zed aside to talk. Once those two were gone, Beck let out a sigh of relief.

It was only thanks to Zed that he'd gotten out of situations like this. He really did owe Zed big time. But onto bigger and more important things... there were light cycles that needed fixing. And it was time he actually did what he was good at.

...

"_You tore the night apart, And ripped the silent skies in half, Your glory breaking through the dark..._"

The sound of an engine running was what had woken her up.

Her eyes opened slowly at first. Until she noticed that she was somewhere different. She sat up a little straighter and tried to take everything in at once. But the moment she did she almost regretted it.

She looked around in utter confusion as she tried to figure out where she was. This wasn't Flynn's arcade. And it certainly wasn't her room in the apartment. She rubbed the back of her hair as she saw a faint light flickering on and off on the ceiling above.

Until she realized that it wasn't actually a ceiling. She stood up in a moment of panic when she saw another flash of light streak against the... whatever it was. She could only assume that it was the sky. And that flash of light was actually lightning.

_Where the heck am I_? she wondered.

That was when she saw something flying towards her. Her heart was racing with panic when she saw the black, red and orange object flying towards her. It was an eerie sight, with the object making an odd noise that made her ears hurt a little.

Finally the object had gotten closer, and she suddenly realized that she was in real danger. She didn't know whether or not this was just a dream. But she wasn't sticking around long enough to find out.

She tried standing up when she found that impossible. It was like her legs were glued to the ground. Her eyes widened in fear as the object landed nearby with a heavy thud. The next few seconds seemed to last for hours as strange looking people walked out of the object.

All she could do was gape at the strange people. They were wearing helmets with masks that covered their face. And their entire body was black, except for their hands. What had caught her attention though were the red and orange lights that lined their suits. They were actually _glowing_.

When she realized they were headed in her direction, she tried getting up again, only to stay firm on the ground. One of the strange people grabbed her by the shoulder and hoisted her up, much to her relief.

"This program has no disk." She looked at the person in confusion, but felt too intimidated to do anything.

Wait, did he say program? Her eyes widened in shock as they threw her into some kind of containment space, along with four other people in the same predicament.

"Does anyone know what's going on? And what the heck a program is?" she couldn't help but ask. One person turned and gave her a sorrowful look, while another was muttering nervously under their breath.

It was than she noticed that they too had those strange glowing lights on their outfits. One had white and purple lines, while another had white and green lines. Two had white and sickly blue looking lines.

She felt sorry for them; it looked like they had seen better days.

"Keep quiet, and they might not choose you for the games," the female with white and purple lines told her.

_Games_? This only left her feeling more confused than ever.

But she did as she was told, still fearing and hoping that this was just a dream. A terrible nightmare that she would wake up from.

"_And here our worlds collide, Divinity in man confined, This great design drawn out for me..._"

She wasn't sure how much time had passed before the object she was on finally landed. They had captured another person on what she guessed were the streets. This one had been badly damaged, to the point where they barely had a face that was covered in pixels and strange lights.

The person they caught had put up such a big fight that it had taken three men to take him down. When they finally did take him down he was thrown into the restraints, all the while cursing and spitting at them.

"Stay calm and do as I say," the female suddenly told her. She looked at her in surprise before nodding.

The men that had captured her earlier were leading her away first, followed by the girl with white and purple circuits.

"Take this stray to the games," one of the men ordered. "She can keep the crowd entertained for a while."

She looked around frantically as the girl with white and purple lines followed them.

"Take me with her," she said, boldly standing her ground. The man just looked at her in what she guessed was disbelief. Then he grunted and nodded before shoving the girl forward, nearly knocking her to the ground with the staff he was holding.

"You two can derezz together," he sneered.

"_Derezz_?" she repeated, looking at the girl in horror.

"Just follow me and don't say anything," the girl whispered. She simply nodded and allowed herself to be led towards a large looking coliseum styled building. Even the building itself had lights similar to the ones on the peoples' suits. "Do you have a name?" the girl suddenly asked in a whisper. She nodded before thinking it over.

"Zena," she replied cautiously.

"Alright, Zena; my name's Ivy," the girl told her. "I'm going to help you, but you'll have to listen carefully."

Zena just nodded in agreement once again. She was still confused as to what was happening, but at least someone was willing to help. That was enough to give her some kind of hope.

...

(**Beck's POV**)

"Beck." He jumped at the sound of a familiar voice.

By now he should have gotten used to Tron's voice, but it was still something he had trouble with. He turned around to see his mentor hiding in the alley nearby, observing the crowd from a distance.

"Did I miss something?" Beck asked warily. "I thought tonight was my night off?"

Tron just folded his arms and looked down at him. Or at least that was what Beck assumed. It was always harder to determine what emotions Tron was hiding.

"I received word earlier this cycle of a stray found in Argon," Tron explained after pulling Beck to the side.

"Strays show up all the time, especially with Clu around," Beck replied with a shrug. Though he could understand why Tron was so worried. More strays meant more programs for Clu's army. Strays were vulnerable without their disks, easy to repurpose. "So what do you want me to do?"

"Find them and bring them back, before Clu gets a hold of them," Tron told him. "If my fears are right, then Clu may have just gotten a bigger piece on the playing field."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So there's the next chapter :) And a big thanks to 2theSky for reviewing! I really appreciate any criticism I can get!<strong>

**Lyrics are from King of Heaven, by Hillsong United**


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

They were being led to a smaller room. Ivy was taken to another while Zena stood still as a statue. Four people dressed in pure white suits had approached her without little concern.

What happened next made her blush a deeper shade of red than she thought possible. They had taken her clothes off. All of them, leaving her feeling more vulnerable than ever. But instead of attacking they just waited as some kind of black material replaced Zena's old outfit.

Her eyes widened in shock at the sight as a podium rose from the floor, with a circular disk-like object resting on it.

The people working in that said room had already attached what looked like white and purple lines, similar to the ones on Ivy, on her shoulders and legs. Zena closed her eyes and held her breath as they grabbed the disk and placed it on her back.

"Disk loading is now complete, you are now ready for the games," one of the people told her with a smile.

"C-Can you please tell me what's going on?" Zena asked as they walked back to their posts.

No answer. Instead an eerie silence followed as she was joined by Ivy. Zena's eyes wandered towards the open door fearfully when she heard a crowd shouting with glee.

"It's okay, I'm not here to hurt you," Ivy reassured her. She looked at the girl in surprise as Ivy held out a hand. "I won't let _them_ hurt you either," she added.

"Why are you helping me?" Zena asked suspiciously. "I haven't done anything to help you."

Ivy sighed and knelt down so that she was level with Zena. The girl was so short compared to her. Ivy had to be at least six foot thanks to her high heals. It was a wonder she could walk in them considering how high they were.

"Because, you remind me of me when I first got to the games," she explained with a sheepish smile. "I got lucky and managed to escape. Barely." She glanced around quickly at the sound of an alarm. "This time I'll make sure I take you with me."

Zena watched her doubtfully before running into what looked like a Roman fighting arena. Only this one was different.

It had circular platforms that seemed to float around them. All around her she could see people shouting and booing at both Ivy and herself. It was obvious who the underdogs were here.

"In the name of our great leader Clu," a voice boomed over the speakers, making Zena's ears ring. "Let the games begin!"

The crowd roared in applause as another circular platform approached theirs. Zena looked around fearfully as more people in black and orange suits stood there. What caught her eye were the disks in their hands, whirring dangerously and radiating some kind of heat.

"Stay close to me and _don't_ let their disks touch you," Ivy warned as they jumped onto their platform.

Zena nodded at her warning just as a disk flew in their direction. Ivy had ducked in time, kicking the nearest attacker square in the chest while knocking aside the other. She was fast and a skilled fighter. All Zena could do was stand there and watch, still too stunned to even move.

That was until one of the people had jumped at her and sent her flying across the platform. Zena held back a cry of pain when they pinned her down and raised their disk threateningly.

Ivy suddenly launched herself at Zena's attacker, disk flying towards their arm and cutting it in half. Zena let out a yelp of surprise and shock at the sight, but instead of blood, cubes rained down on her. Zena looked up at Ivy in horror as the person attacking her disappeared into a pile of glowing pixels.

"What's... happening?" she asked desperately as more of them advanced towards the two.

"I'm afraid this is what happens at the games," Ivy replied while kicking another guard (that was what Zena called them for now, until she learned what they really were), to the side. "It's derezz or get derezzed here."

Zena was only just beginning to understand the brutality of this place when an alarm sounded. The loud buzzing noise made her wish she had taken an ibuprofen. She had barely noticed her headache until now.

Ivy smiled gently and helped her up as the crowd booed in response.

"Why are they booing?" Zena was getting tired of asking questions all the time. But it was the only way she would learn in a place like this. Ivy only rolled her eyes at the noise and pointed towards a tower looming down over them.

"They were expecting the Black Guard to win," Ivy explained.

It took Zena a few seconds to realize that all of the guards were down. A few had 'derezzed' during the fight, leaving behind a mess of pixels in the process.

"But why?" Zena had already noticed that the people standing in the tower were talking amongst themselves. She could see clearly through the glass that they were angry. Angry that a couple of washed up people had won the fight.

Zena never had the chance to answer. More guards were sent in to take them away.

Her eyes wandered to the handcuffs that were placed around their wrists. The guards weren't taking any chances. Not with one of them being such a skilled warrior. Zena on the other hand might as well be a sitting duck.

_I have no skills_, she thought bitterly. _How am I supposed to defend myself?_

...

(Beck's POV)

"I'm sorry guys," Beck sighed as he leaned against the wall.

Mara and Zed were at the club, oblivious to the fact that he hadn't joined them. And maybe that was a good thing. They wouldn't get suspicious with his sudden disappearance, or lame excuses. But he did feel bad for leaving them, yet again.

He rezzed his light cycle and headed for the coliseum, following Tron's coordinates. Even if his mentor was back on his feet, Beck was stuck doing most of the work as Renegade. And with all of the wanted posters plastered across the city, Beck had to be even more careful than before.

"Looks like they're headed for the games," Beck muttered, not feeling very surprised at all.

For some reasons strays were like a magnet when it came to the games. He'd spent a lot of time at the coliseum recently rescuing them. This was no different.

It only took him a few nanocycles to reach the coliseum. And already there was a large crowd gathered. Beck paused and watched with interest when he heard booing. Clearly they weren't enjoying the show.

_Gee, I wonder why_? he wondered to himself.

Carefully he climbed to the top of the coliseum, avoiding any guards along the way. Since Clu had arrived there were more guards posted than usual. Beck knew it was partly to keep an eye out for the Renegade, but Clu was also after Tron.

His fists clenched at the thought as he reached the top. Once he did he almost regretted doing so.

Programs were gathered in their seats, glaring down at two figures standing on the platforms of the arena. Beck watched them carefully and noticed that one program was shorter than the other. And looked absolutely terrified.

_I'll bet that's the stray_, he thought as they were led away from the carnage of battle.

For a moment he wondered if the stray could remember any of the horrific battles Clu had forced upon the Grid. After all it was likely that the stray had lost their disk one of those battles. Or it could have been taken.

"I can't believe Tesler's letting them live!" one program shouted above the roaring crowd.

"Yeah, after that defeat you'd think he would have them derezzed on the spot," another agreed.

Beck only rolled his eyes before slipping away unnoticed. He'd have to pull the rescue off before they discovered his presence. And with more guards along the way, that might seem impossible.

...

"So, how long have you been here?" Ivy suddenly asked. They were placed in a prison cell, and luckily Ivy was sharing one with Zena. The girl really didn't want to be alone at the moment. Not in a sinister place like this.

"I'm sorry?" Zena looked at the young person in surprise as Ivy eyed her curiously.

"It's obvious that you're not a program," Ivy explained with a shrug.

"Program..." Zena repeated the word slowly, her eyes widening in surprise at the term Ivy just used. "Is... is that what you are?"

"Yep," Ivy replied with a nod. "And you'd be a user." Zena tested the word once again and smiled sheepishly. "It's okay, I know that some programs are vengeful against users, but I'm not. The Creator wouldn't want us to be."

Again Zena had asked more questions, to which Ivy was able to comply. She had learned that the 'Creator', as Ivy had called him, was actually Kevin Flynn. He was the one who created this place, known as the Grid. And together with Clu and Tron, they built the Grid to what it now was. Zena found herself drawn to Ivy's stories about the ISOs and the war that followed. Though the Grid had it's fair share of violence, there was also hope.

Ivy had told her about a revolution taking place in Argon City, the place they were in now. Slowly but surely programs were rising up against the tyranny of Clu. But the more programs that fought against him, the tougher the battles.

When she was finished, Zena was left wondering why she ended up on the Grid. Or even how. She couldn't help but wonder if there was something more to her sudden appearance than even Ivy was letting on.

Finally Ivy had stopped talking to let them both rest. Zena was exhausted with everything that had happened. Between waking up on the Grid and everything else, she needed some rest.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I apologize if there are any mistakes here. It's been a while since I've seen Legacy so... yeah. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing where I go with this; I'm already three chapters ahead XD<strong>

**2theSky - I know, right? You'd think they'd have it figured out by now XD Ignorance is bliss I suppose :P**

**Guest - Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it :D**


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

"Zena... Zena..."

Her eyes fluttered open to see someone poking her. Zena quickly swatted the finger away, only to realize who that someone was.

She looked at Ivy in horror, until the program only smiled gently at her.

"Did you have a good sleep cycle?" she asked curiously. Zena tilted her head in confusion until remembering the term Ivy had used. She nodded and glanced around, recognizing the cell they were in. "Good, you're gonna need that rest for what's coming up," Ivy said, suddenly sounding serious.

Zena held her breath as more guards had approached their cell. That sinister orange and red glow had really made her realize why she hated those colors so much. Ivy just stayed close to her as the guards placed handcuffs around them again.

The guards then led them to a different part of the coliseum. Zena looked around warily when she saw a smooth surface stretch before them. And what really struck her as odd was when the guards had given them strange looking sticks.

"Erm, what am I supposed to do with this?" she asked Ivy in a hopeful voice. Ivy just laughed and pointed towards two buttons on either side of the stick.

"You turn it into a light cycle," Ivy explained. "Have you ever driven before?" When Zena shook her head, Ivy sighed and threw the stick onto the ground. Zena watched in fascination as it turned into what looked like a sleek motorcycle. "Just hop on, you'll be fine," Ivy reassured her.

Zena's eyes widened when she saw a group of Black Guard headed their way at a fast pace. And they were on their own light cycles.

She did as she was told without hesitation, sitting behind Ivy as she sped ahead. The guard that came in close was derezzed in an instant, followed soon by another. Ivy held her disk out as she sped towards the wall.

"Brace yourself!" Ivy whispered. Zena did just that, suddenly aware of how much danger they were in.

What she did next made everyone gasp in shock. Ivy leaned forward and crashed her light cycle right into the wall. An explosion shook the entire coliseum, causing everyone to flee for cover as debris fell all over.

But Ivy didn't stop there. Zena groaned in pain when a shrapnel had cut through her suit. Ivy glanced at her new friend in concern before grabbing her by the wrist and running through the hole their light cycle had created.

"Ivy, what are you doing?" Zena asked when they ran on. By now she was gasping for breath as guards chased after them. She could hear the crowd in the distance, booing away when they realized what just happened.

"Escaping, and giving you time to get away from here," Ivy explained when they reached a corner.

"What?" Zena gaped at her as Ivy pulled her to the side once they were hidden.

"Look, I'm not blind," Ivy retorted. "You wouldn't last a cycle in the games without proper training. Clu can't get his hands on you, not when you're so vulnerable."

All Zena could do was stare at Ivy in disbelief. Then she noticed something on Ivy's suit, something that made her feel sick.

"You're suit!" was all she could say. Ivy glanced down and noticed it too.

A long gash could be seen running from her shoulder to her chest. Pixels were already falling to the ground as Ivy stood up. Ivy glanced over her shoulder one more time before putting a firm hand on Zena's shoulder.

"I'll be fine," she told her. "Just make sure that you get away from here. If you can, find the Renegade. He'll be able to help you get off the Grid."

Zena hadn't even noticed that she was actually crying as Ivy limped away, towards the soldiers that had spotted them. Ivy turned and looked at Zena one last time before charging after the soldiers, swinging her disk at anyone that got too close.

The program was sacrificing herself for someone she barely even knew. Zena knelt down and hid herself just to watch, feeling a sense of grief wash over as the guards had finally pinned Ivy down and slowly derezzed her. She didn't even scream.

_I can't believe that just happened_... Zena tried to swallow back her shame and grief as she slowly inched herself away from the coliseum grounds. She wasn't even sure where to go next. But she knew that for Ivy's sake, she had to get away from here. _I won't let her die in vein_, she told herself.

"_All I know for sure is that nothing is forever, And all that matters is how we get along together, Life is harder every day that I get older, I hope I figure out why I'm here before it's over..._"

...

(**Beck's POV**)

He'd searched the entire perimeter of the coliseum, and still no sign of the stray or her companion. Finally after spending a millicycle here, Beck had crawled into one of the air vents to find out more information.

Soon enough he spotted General Tesler talking to one of his commanders, Paige. She didn't seem overly happy with something that just happened.

Then again Beck had rarely seen Paige happy. Except for that one time... No. Not now. He clenched his fists and stared down, trying to push the thought away.

Paige was a commander. If she found out that he was the Renegade, she would turn him in without a second thought. Especially after everything that had happened between them.

"... Sure that the program was derezzed. The other got away, sir," Paige said hesitantly. Tesler's fists balled up as he glowered at his commander. Paige didn't even look worried though as she looked him in the eye.

"If word of this gets out to Clu, he will throw us all into the games," Tesler snapped. "He cannot find out about that stray!"

"But sir-" Tesler cut her off before she could continue.

"No, I want every guard available looking for them, and bring them to me. I want to see the look on their face before I derezz them," Tesler shot back.

Beck couldn't help but wince at the sight. He needed to work fast if he wanted to get to that stray before General Tesler. So much for getting a break.

"_Cuz we're here today (hey!), and gone tomorrow, We're here today (hey!), and gone tomorrow, Lead the way (hey!), never follow, Here today (hey!), and gone tomorrow..._"

...

Zena wasn't sure how long she had been running. But by the time she had finally stopped, she was on the verge of collapsing. Her lungs felt like they were on fire. She needed something to drink, and fast.

But the problem was, she wasn't even sure where to look. She had reached Argon City, or at least that was what she had hoped, but she didn't know where to begin with her search. As far as the Grid was concerned she was hopelessly lost.

"What am I supposed to do?" she asked, mostly to herself.

Ivy was gone. The only program to ever show any kindness to her was gone. She hadn't even known Ivy for that long, and yet she felt grief shake her heart. If this was what life was like on the Grid, than she wanted no part in it.

"Watch where you're going, runt!" Zena flinched as a program nearly ran her over on their light cycle, headed towards the city.

She sniffed and brushed away the dust from her suit, having already given up on the scratch that now covered her arm.

_Find the Renegade, he'll help you_. Ivy's words suddenly struck her as odd. She had mentioned the Renegade a few times, saying that he was disguised as Tron. Some programs even believed that he _was_ Tron. And if anyone could help her, it was Tron.

"_I've had shiny brand new leather penny loafers, And I've had torn-up, soiled teddys handed-over, All I know for sure is that nothing is forever, And all that matters is how we get along together..._"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I know, it had to happen :( And Aloe Blacc may not have been the most appropriate choice for this chapter ^^ But I love his soul music XD, and thanks 2theSky for reviewing!<strong>

**2theSky - Thank you, I'm glad you feel that way :)**

**Lyrics come from Aloe Blacc's Here Today**


	5. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

"**... Any idea where she might have gone?"**

**"Of course not, she's your daughter!"**

**"Even if she wasn't my daughter I would still know where she is!"**

**"Would you shut up already?! I'm under enough stress as it is!"**

**"Just keep looking, she has to be around here somewhere...**"

...

_Find Tron_... _Find Tron_...

The words kept repeating themselves in Zena's head. By now she was resting in an alley way, avoiding any programs that crossed her path.

She was too exhausted to keep going. Hunger and tiredness had gotten the better of her. Now all she could do was hope that sleeping it away would help. No one had bothered stopping to see if she was okay, and she was fine by that.

Her back leaned against a wall as she looked out onto the city streets.

They were crawling with guards. If she went out now they would surely catch her. She let out a sigh as she watched them question programs that got too close. Innocent programs they were throwing onto the streets if they didn't answer properly.

Finally Zena had enough and reached around her back. She was given a disk, similar to the one Ivy had used. If she could somehow learn how to use it, maybe she could help those programs, instead of hiding like a coward.

She unlatched her disk and stared at it for a few moments, taking in the black circular design. If given to the wrong person it could make a dangerous weapon. But given to the right person... Zena closed her eyes and held the disk closer to her chest.

"How do I use it though?" she wondered out loud. How could she put something like this to good use?

"I wouldn't." Zena nearly leaped out of her skin when she heard a cold voice coming from nowhere.

She looked around frantically and panicked when she saw a shadow in the darkness. Someone was watching her, dressed in a black suit with very few red lights. Zena stared at the figure in horror as she backed away further, bracing herself for whatever pain might follow.

But the figure did nothing. They just stood there, tilting their head in confusion. Zena glanced at the figure warily as she waited for what they would do next.

What he did next caught her off guard. He held out a hand, careful not to startle her even more.

"I won't hurt you," he reassured her, using the same gentle tone that Ivy had used.

"How do I know that you won't?" she demanded, trying to keep her voice from cracking. It had been hours since she had anything to drink or eat. And her body was starting to notice the effects. Zena suddenly felt weaker than she'd ever felt before. Her body sagged lower to the ground, and the figure suddenly realized too late what was happening.

"Easy," the voice said as black spots appeared around the edge of her vision.

Zena had barely heard it as she passed out. All she could hope for was that this was just a dream, and that she would wake up back in the arcade, or even her apartment.

...

(Beck's POV)

He had returned empty handed. Once again. But when he got back to Tron's safehouse, he saw that Tron wasn't alone. He looked at the lone figure in surprise as Tron waited for him impatiently, yet again.

"W-Who's that?" he asked shakily. Tron had set up a small area that resembled a bedroom of some sort. And the program was resting on said bed.

"A stray," Tron replied with a shrug. "I found her in the alley, half starved of energy."

Beck than noticed that their light circuits were paler than usual. Any paler and the program would have collapsed under exhaustion, and derezzed. So why didn't this program do just that? To top things off this program was a stray...

"I need you to keep an eye on her," Tron suddenly told him. Beck just looked at his mentor like he was crazy.

"Her?" he repeated before his eyes widened. "But why me?"

"Because, she was terrified when I found her," Tron explained as he glanced at the girl warily. "I'm afraid she might try to attack if she sees me again." Beck only rolled his eyes when he realized what that meant.

"So you're just going to let her attack me when she wakes up?" Beck asked, folding his arms in annoyance.

But Tron had already left the room, most likely to check on any other strays out in Argon.

Beck bit the bottom of his lip before approaching the resting program warily. His eyes widened when he saw how small she was compared to other programs. She had dark brown hair, but what struck her as odd was the blond highlight running halfway through. Slowly he began to realize that she looked to be around the same age as him. Maybe a year younger.

_Who are you_? he wondered absentmindedly. Then his eyes widened even more as sudden realization dawned on him.

This was the same program that had escaped from the games. The same one that had fought so poorly. Beck shook his head at the thought and sighed. If she woke up than he was sure she wouldn't prove to be a threat.

He grabbed an energy drink from the room that Tron kept them in for emergencies like this. She would need some as soon as she woke up. He had a feeling that she hadn't had energy in a long time. How else could someone collapse like that?

Again he thought back to how programs sometimes derezzed because they didn't have enough energy. If the program was actually an ISO, than that would cause even more problems in the future.

Suddenly he heard a loud groan. Beck's eyes widened when he realized what that meant. What followed was a thud. Beck nearly dropped the glass of energy before rushing over to check on the program.

To his relief the program seemed to be okay, but now she was on the floor, glaring down at it. Beck tried not to smile at the sight before leaning down to help her up with his free hand. What she did next took him by surprise.

She looked up and stared at him with terrified eyes before backing away. He was taken aback by her reaction, and suddenly understood what Tron had meant earlier.

"It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you," he whispered as he leaned down to her level. The girl just studied him with fearful eyes as he offered her an energy drink. "You'll need it, trust me," he added while trying to sound as gentle as possible.

She gave the energy drink a look of disgust. "H-How do I know it's safe?" Her voice was hoarse, as if she hadn't spoken in cycles.

"If I wanted you derezzed, I would've left you in that alley," Beck explained after taking a deep breath. The girl just looked at him suspiciously. "It's okay, programs need energy in order to survive," he went on as his patience started to unravel.

Thankfully she had finally taken the energy drink and took a wary sip. Once she did her eyes widened and she drank the whole thing, only slowing down when he warned her not to drink it too fast.

"Thank you," she sighed when the energy drink finally took it's full effect. Her light circuits seemed to glow a healthier shade of purple as well. "W-Where am I?"

Beck sat back as she placed the glass on the floor. "Uh, that's a little difficult to explain," he replied sheepishly.

"Try me," she retorted. Beck didn't have much of a chance to think over his answer. The lights in the safehouse had suddenly turned on, and the girl flinched as Tron stepped inside to see them both sitting on the floor.

...

Zena looked at the man staring down at them warily. Somehow she knew that he was the same one who had rescued her in the alley. But she couldn't bring herself to trust him. If he was anything like the other programs she had met, than she had every right not to trust him.

"Beck," he greeted the younger program standing not too far away from her.

"Who are you?" Zena demanded as she struggled to stand up. Her knees still felt weak, but the energy drink Beck had given her was starting to give her more strength.

"Tron," the program replied in a firm tone full of authority.

Her eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at the program. Then she noticed something odd on his chest, something that resembled a 'T' marking. She nearly facepalmed at that moment when she realized what that meant.

"_You're_ Tron?" she repeated the name and tried not to gape. Tron only looked at her seriously and nodded.

"And _who_ are _you_?" he asked once that was established.

"I-I'm Zena," she replied warily. Both Tron and Beck exchanged strange looks. Zena bit the bottom of her lip, suddenly wondering if they knew that she was a User.

"Why were you in that alley?" Tron suddenly started asking more questions. "And what were you doing in the games?"

Zena's eyes widened again as she backed away fearfully, not quite sure how to answer all of those questions. How was she supposed to answer something like that?

"I-I don't know," she stammered. "One moment I was... asleep, and the next, I wake up here on the Grid. I just... I don't know!"

She threw her arms up in frustration as she looked around nervously. Tron just pinched the bridge of his nose while Beck looked at her skeptically. She knew that her excuse was a lame one, but it was better than nothing.

"You need to get some rest," Tron suddenly said as Zena tried getting up again, only to fall nearly flat on her face. Luckily Beck had caught her this time, though she pushed his arm away the moment she relaxed a little.

Zena nodded in agreement after realizing that Tron was right. If she wanted to get away from the Grid, than she would need to get some rest.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So, there's that chapter :) Next few might be a bit boring, just because they're kind of more informational on Zena's part than anything else. But after that things will start to pick up! I'm also thinking of expanding this once it's over, but I'm not entirely sure... If I do, I might switch it over to first person point of view in the next story, if that happens. Please let me know what you think of that, and if I should go with it :)<strong>

**2theSky - I know :( But it was all in the name of the plot! And of course Tron would find her instead XD**


	6. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

"**She's going to destroy us all."**

**"Not if we find her first."**

**"The stray? That useless wimp? She barely put up a fight at the games!"**

**"It doesn't matter what she did! The fact that she exists at all is going to put us all in danger."**

**"Then we find her. And we derezz her, before Clu finds out."**

**"Understood, sir.**"

...

Zena woke up with a pounding headache. The blinding lights weren't exactly helping, and neither were the sounds of battle.

Wait, what?

She looked around in surprise to see that the world around her had changed. The city surrounded her, with it's bright lights and bustling activity. Zena leaned forward and spotted a white figure jumping from one rooftop to the other at blinding speed.

The _Renegade_.

She remembered Ivy telling her about him. He had saved Ivy's life once. He had saved several lives, and yet he was still seen as public enemy number one. Zena really couldn't see the understanding in that.

_Clu seeks perfection_. The jerk of a ruler, power hungry and in desperate need of a wake-up call, was also looking for her. Zena had a feeling that Clu would already know that she was on the Grid. Because according to Ivy, Clu could see everything.

"Simulation complete..." Zena jumped at the random female voice from nowhere.

_Where did that come from_? she wondered. Then soon the room began to change back to what it once was, a bland room with very little to nothing furniture. But as Zena looked around she noticed that it was more than that.

Up ahead were a set of stairs that led to a screen overlooking a barren expanse of wasteland. For a moment Zena was taken aback by the sight. Then she jumped when a flash of lightning streaked across the sky.

"Is it always dark and depressing here?" she asked when she heard a set of footsteps approaching her.

"It's not always dark here," Beck reassured her as he knelt down to her level. She was still sitting on the floor, staring out of that large window. "It just depends on where you go."

Zena had barely taken notice to his presence until she noticed his suit.

It was blindingly light, forcing her to narrow her eyes when she looked at him. What caught her by surprise was that he didn't even sound out of breath after all that running. How was he still able to stand even after all that exercise? She would be passed out on the floor gasping for breath by now.

"Beck, a word." The program in question groaned at the sound of Tron's voice, and Zena hid a smirk.

Again she wondered how the two could stand each other. From what she had already gathered, they were nothing alike.

While Tron may be gentle towards her, she could see that he wasn't towards Beck. Whereas she had noticed during the simulation that Beck was kind to almost every program he met. _Almost_. Zena still wasn't too sure what to make of his alter ego.

She bit the bottom of her lip again and crawled over to where Tron and Beck were. The two of them were hiding in what appeared to be a garage, with those same sticks that turned into light cycles... or whatever they were really called.

"... get too close, she's still a stray." Zena flinched at the term Tron had used.

He spoke in a stern, gruff way that reminded her all too much of Batman. Well, she had never _seen_ the movies but she had heard the voices from the movie when her mother watched them. With a shake of her head she pressed further to see what they were saying about her.

"You can't just keep her here," Beck retorted. "What if the Occupation finds out about her? The streets are already crawling with guards looking for a stray."

So that's why Tesler was so determined to keep her! Zena had remembered Ivy's warning. Programs would go to endless lengths to keep the Grid in 'Perfection', as Clu had called it. And Strays were certainly anything but perfect.

"Then what do you suggest we do? Throw her out?" Tron asked through what sounded like gritted teeth.

"Well, she's a stray isn't she?" Beck snapped. "If that's the case than she should have already forgotten her memories, and everything else. Not to mention she has a disk."

That took Zena by surprise. She instinctively reached over her shoulder to where those people dressed in white had placed her disk. Ivy had called it an identity disk. Something that all programs were created with and were not to lose.

How had Tron not been able to see it? Zena shook her head once again and got up.

Maybe she shouldn't stay here. It was obvious that she was seen as a nuisance rather than a friend. Not that she didn't blame them for wanting to kick her out.

She quickly went over to the kitchen, or whatever this room was, and grabbed the spare bottles of energy Tron had kept in storage. It wasn't much but the energy would keep her going until she figured out a way out of this world.

With that said and done, she quietly slipped away without them taking notice.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Wonder how long it will take them to realize she's a User? :P Too many unanswered questions! Anywho, thanks to Pirateweasel and 2theSky for reviewing! Any review is appreciated :) And yes, I know this chapter's way too short...<strong>


	7. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

"_I was finished, game over, Couldn't carry the weight on my shoulders, At my end, in trouble, Knocked down on the ground seein' double..._"

The first thing she noticed upon reaching the city were the colors.

Beck had said that she just needed to look in the right places. And these colors and lights were almost overwhelming. She had to shield her eyes a few times before finding a dark alley she could creep into.

Fortunately here no one seemed to recognize her. Though she could see 'Wanted' posters hanging throughout the city with a blurry image of herself. She looked at the posters in disbelief before shaking her head once again.

If Clu thought he was going to scare her into giving herself up, he had another thing coming. She sure as heck wasn't going to give up now. Not when she had seen what he did to Ivy.

"I wish I knew what to do here," she sighed as she leaned against the wall and took off her disk.

There was still so much that she had to learn. Between fighting to defend herself and learning how to survive in a place like this... she really was lost. And maybe she should have stayed with Tron. She would have been safer with him.

"But they want nothing to do with me," she muttered to herself. "To them I'm just... a useless stray."

She found her hands shaking around the disk at the term 'useless'. It was what her mother had once called her. She could still remember those cruel words taunting her.

"You useless brat! You can't even keep your grades straight!" her mother had shouted.

Zena tried pushing the memory away. That was part of the reason she had left her home. To get away from her mother and start a new life. She had hoped that by running she would forget everything that had happened.

"_But then Your love, love opened my eyes, Lifted me up, up, now I'm alive, I raise my hands, hands to the sky, Singing "Oh oh oh oh oh oh" "Oh oh oh oh oh"..._"

She suddenly pushed a button on her disk, and another flash of light nearly blinded her eyes.

Her eyes widened in amazement when she saw codes of various types in front of her. They were raw bits of information that had been placed in her disk. Hidden commands that were locked away. Yet somehow she'd managed to find them with a simple push of a button.

Carefully Zena tapped the first bit of code, and her mind was almost overwhelmed by the amount of information it gave her.

Kevin Flynn had created the Grid. He brought Tron over by Alan Bradley, a friend of his. Zena remembered hearing about Alan Bradley a few times when she was still in school. She bit the bottom of her lip when she saw an image of Clu standing next to Flynn.

Together they had built all of these cities. Tron was one of his top security programs. He kept the Grid safe from threats like Clu. But at the time Clu wasn't a threat. In fact he and Clu had been on good terms, at one point.

Then the ISOs appeared. Zena tried to remember their full name, but unfortunately she couldn't access that bit of information. Apparently the ISOs had manifested on their own. And thought brought tension to Clu, because Flynn had treated them like they were special. Something that defied all possibilities.

Zena found herself gaping at the memories of the Grid. Clu had betrayed Flynn, and Tron. Because of Clu Tron was thought to be dead.

"Why would he do that?" she wondered absentmindedly.

By now she was too exhausted to think it over. All of that data had left her mind reeling with shock. She needed time to rest so that she could decide what to do next.

"_Oh Lord, I'm a different man, You gave me a second chance, I was lost, I was fallin' apart, But You came along, and You hit the restart..._"

...

(Beck's POV)

"That just made my job more difficult," he sighed as he reached the garage.

Sure enough as soon as they were done chatting the stray had left. And of course Tron had ordered him to find her.

Beck wasn't even sure where to begin with his search. As a stray they could be anywhere. But what bothered him more than anything was the fact that the program acted nothing like a stray. If anything she was more terrified than anything else of them.

"There you are!" Beck froze at the sound of Zed's voice. "Mara's been looking everywhere for you."

"What now?" Beck grumbled under his breath.

Then he noticed that something was off about the garage. It took him a few millicycles to notice that Mara was standing in front of a large crowd of coworkers. Beck glanced at Zed anxiously as he just shrugged, looking more nervous than anything else.

"I need everyone to calm down!" Mara shouted over the anxious murmuring that followed.

"Mara, what's going on?" Beck asked when he joined her. Mara whirled around just in time, her eyes wide with fear.

"It's General Tesler," she explained in a whisper. "He's..." Mara paused and glanced at Zed. He sighed before taking over for her.

"He's choosing three programs to be sent to the games, as punishment," Zed told him.

"What? Why?" Of course he knew why, but the fact that Tesler would actually pull something like this off made him even angrier. This was something the Renegade could stop.

"For turning on Pavel, and throwing him out," Mara replied in a bitter voice. "Apparently he decided to squeal on us."

Beck narrowed his eyes in disgust. He knew that Pavel was more than just a jerk, but he couldn't quite place the right words on it. That was one program he wouldn't mind derezzing. But again it went against everything he believed in.

"We'll find a way out of this," he reassured them.

"_We_?" Dash repeated with widening eyes. "Since when have _we_ cared about us?" His comment was directed towards Beck. And though he would never admit it, they hurt more than Dash would ever realize.

"Easy Dash, Beck's only trying to help," Zed snapped.

"Zed is right," Mara admitted with a sigh. "This isn't the time to turn on each other."

Beck glanced at his friends thankfully, suddenly aware of how much faith they had in him. He wished he could share that amount of faith. Or even have the guts to tell them who he really was. But he knew that would only put their lives in danger as well.

"_You, You, You hit the restart, You, You, You hit the restart, You, You, You hit the restart, You came along, and You hit the restart..._"

...

Zena was beginning to hate Clu more than ever now. The more memories she accessed the more horrible he seemed.

He'd done terrible things. Between killing off all the ISOs to taking over the Grid, she wasn't sure which was worse. But she knew that he was a mass murderer who needed to be stopped.

Her fists clenched as she continued searching for more data. Throughout this entire surge of information, she had learned how to access information on defending herself, and even using something called 'free code'. She may not know much, but she was learning fast.

The more she thought about it, the more she realized that she would have to watch her back. And Clu would have to watch his.

After everything she had learned, there was no way she could let him get away with what he had done.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thanks for your patience everyone! It may be a while til the next chapter is posted. Sorry about that. But, life gets in the way... so, yeah... Sorry.<strong>

**2theSky - Thank you! I'm glad you liked it, and don't worry, she won't be dying... at least not anytime soon :P**

**Lyrics come from the song Restart by the Newsboys**


	8. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

"Surrender, in the name of Clu!"

Zena rolled her eyes at the guard spitting out those words. She had already managed to knock out two other guards. Whether or not it was by pure luck, she couldn't be sure. But she wasn't going to let these guards get away with taking those programs hostage. They hadn't even done anything wrong!

Once her disk had returned to her hand, she wasted no time in kicking the remaining guard square in the chest. His body fell to the ground in a slump, and she couldn't help but grin triumphantly. Whatever she did to her disk had given her abilities she never had in the real world. It gave her a chance to help programs instead of watching from the sidelines.

And her actions were beginning to frustrate Clu.

The very notion that he was reacting at all to what she did amazed her. Clearly he didn't have patience for someone who was trying to help.

"Thank you," the program said as she broke the cuffs around their wrist. "How did you..." The program stopped as she turned and started to leave.

"Don't thank me," Zena called over her shoulder. "Thank Tron!"

She tried not to smirk again as she thought of how the program would react to that. So far she had managed to evade both Tron and the Renegade. She wasn't even sure how that was possible, given that Tron was a security monitor.

If things were going this well now, maybe she wouldn't need to go back to the real world. All she had to do was survive. And maybe kick some more black guard butt along the way. She wondered what her mother would think if she saw her now.

All too soon Zena flinched at the thought of her mother. She would be furious if she found out about Zena's latest encounter with the cops. Zena knew all too well what sort of punishments her mother would dish out on her. And she deserved all of them.

Zena made a run for it when she realized that more soldiers were scouring the city. It wouldn't be long before word of her latest escapade reached Clu or one of his generals. She was in no hurry of getting caught again, that was for sure.

She didn't realize until too late that she was headed right for the coliseum. By the time it loomed into view she could already hear the familiar roar of a crowd. The sickening sound reminded her all too well of what had happened to Ivy.

And yet somehow she was drawn to this place. Zena tilted her head up as she saw the imposing structure from the outside. Climbing it wouldn't be too difficult. She had a feeling that if she waltzed into the games they would arrest her on the spot. She was already wanted for numerous reasons.

"Lets see who you've got this cycle," she muttered under her breath.

With that being said, she carefully began scaling up the coliseum, using whatever handhold she could find until she reached the top. And from up here she could see just about everything in the coliseum itself. What she saw next made her eyes widen in surprise and alarm.

Beck.

He was with two other programs, one with green hair and another with short brown hair. Zena bit the bottom of her lip as she watched them. The two with him looked nervous, but Beck looked... angry. She wasn't sure if he was angry with the programs shouting, or himself.

_What did they do to get themselves captured_?

Zena quickly unlatched her disk again and started running through the system. Her eyes widened once again when she saw the green-haired program leading a band of other programs in some kind of revolution. One of Tesler's commanders had tried taking over the garage. And had failed miserably at that.

She took a deep breath and let her helmet cover her face again. She couldn't let these programs get hurt. Not if she could help it.

...

(Beck's POV)

"This is crazy, how are we supposed to take on six programs?" Zed demanded as he reached for his disk. Beck and Mara had done the same, all too ready for the fight ahead.

"We can do this," Beck reassured his friend.

Though he couldn't help but feel doubtful.

After they had been captured for the games, Tesler put them through several ordeals they'd barely survived. It was only thanks to Mara's quick thinking and Beck's fighting skills that they'd managed to get by this far.

"We just have to stick together," Mara added. "These programs won't stand a chance against us."

Beck almost wished he could share her enthusiasm. Mara had said at one point that they made a good team. But it was obvious they lacked trust in one another. Zed had already proven that by almost getting derezzed during their last fight.

One of the guards suddenly jumped and threw their disks. Beck was able to block it and threw his, narrowly missing their shoulder in the process. But his disk did manage to hit another soldier in the shoulder, knocking them to their feet. Mara threw several punches and kicks before knocking out another guard, while Zed... Well, Zed tried his best. He wasn't the best fighter, but he proved his own.

"Guys, I need a little backup here!" Zed suddenly shouted. Beck turned around in time to see that a soldier had pinned him to the floor, raising their disk for the death blow.

He was ready to jump in and help when he felt someone grab him by the arm. He reacted by sheer instinct and threw his attacker onto the floor, using the soldier who attacked him as a weapon. The soldier that had pinned Zed down was tossed aside in a nanocycle.

"Come on Zed, we need to keep going," Beck said as he helped him up.

Zed was ready to argue when an explosion suddenly shook the entire coliseum. The programs that had been watching them let out cries of shock as a smokescreen filled the arena. Amongst the confusion and chaos, Beck suddenly realized that they weren't alone.

"This way, quickly!" A voice that sounded oddly distorted shouted from nearby. Beck was too confused to argue as he followed Mara and Zed through the smoke covered arena. All at once he could hear the crowd booing in the background as sirens blared around them. It wouldn't be long before the black guard was released. Then it would all be over for them. "Wait."

Beck looked around in alarm before finding the source of that voice. A program was standing nearby, with a suit that had barely any white circuits. His eyes narrowed with even more doubt.

"Tron?" he asked in a whisper, hoping that Mara and Zed wouldn't hear.

"The name's Z," the program replied before tossing a grenade at a passing soldier. A surge of energy had knocked the soldier out in an instant, and soon all four of them were on the run again. They didn't stop until they couldn't hear the sirens from the coliseum. "You should be safe now," the program reassured them. "Just keep an eye out for those soldiers; they might come looking for you again."

Relief washed over Beck's shoulders as the program slipped away. But that relief was short lived when he noticed that something had been off. Once the program was gone his mind slipped into confusion.

Something wasn't right. That program had fought too well to be any ordinary program. Beck glanced at Mara and Zed, but they were already on the run. With a sigh of frustration, he decided to leave it and followed them.

...

Zena couldn't help but smile as she watched them leave. She was standing on a fire escape, watching for signs of soldiers that might try to follow. If they found those programs now, it would all be over. Fortunately Beck and his friends were smart enough to leave before that happened.

Her latest escapade had been more than just a success. She managed to free the Renegade. And yet she doubted the Grid would view her as a hero for that. If anything, Clu would use this to his advantage.

She let out a sigh and dropped down from the fire escape once they were gone. It felt good helping others. Even when they didn't realize she was helping them. Maybe that was what the Renegade felt when he rescued programs under Clu's rule.

It was like watching an episode from the Last Airbender. The Renegade gave programs something to hope for. And that hope was more powerful than Clu would ever realize.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I've been rewatching all of the Last Airbender episodes. And I didn't realize how much I miss them XD So much humor and darkness at the same time. Gotta love it ;) Also, apologies for the long wait. Writer's block can do that to ya.<strong>

**2thesky - Thanks! Me too! :)**

**Roxygirl - It's okay, I love getting more reviews ^^ And thanks; this story isn't technically a songfic. Not all of the chapters have lyrics in them. But the ones that do pretty much refer to what's going on in their lives :)**


	9. Chapter Eight

"_Bright lights swing across the road, But no one seems to know, Just where I'll put my feet down next, Brown eyes, come with me tonight, You could be my Bonnie, And I will be your Clyde I know who I am, my dear, I'm a wanted man, But the world I see looks good from here, Right from where I stand, Together we could disappear, I'm a wanted man, So come and get me_..." Wanted Man, NEEDTOBREATHE

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eight<strong>

Zena was now standing on the edge of a rooftop. Her recent encounter with Beck and his friends had left her mind feeling rattled.

It was obvious that Clu had a thing against them. Or General Tesler. She had to wonder why. Clearly they had done something to gain their attention.

"Tell me something here," she whispered as she pried off her disk again.

As she typed in a few codes, she was beginning to understand how the Grid worked. It was easy to hack in and access the memories of other programs. Zena had never realized just how easy her life was now compared to the real world.

"There we go…." Zena's eyes widened as she saw Mara and Zed escaping what looked like a death sentence, along with one other program. They were only lucky enough to escape because the Renegade had been there to rescue them.

_And now Clu has two renegade programs to worry about_, she thought with a smirk.

She was ready to leave when the sound of an alarm followed. Zena turned around in an instant and reached for her disk, only to find a female program staring back at her with narrowed eyes. And it wasn't just any female program.

"Paige." The name came out in a whisper, but Paige heard it loud and clear. She reached for her own disk, getting ready to throw when Zena deactivated hers. "I'm not going to hurt you," she explained as she put her disk back.

"How do I know that, stray?" she demanded, activating her disk. Zena couldn't help but flinch at the whirring sound, and she suddenly realized just how vulnerable she was.

"Because you would already be derezzed if I was a threat," Zena replied, trying to keep her voice calm. Paige only glared at her suspiciously. She knew how straightforward Paige could be. The commander wasn't one to listen to reason, unless she had an ounce of patience.

_I doubt she has any for strays_, she reminded herself bitterly. However Zena wasn't a stray. Strays were program who had lost their disks, and memories. But there was no way to prove that without showing that she was a User. And showing that she was a User would guarantee time in the games.

"Why haven't you lost your memories?" Paige snapped, changing the subject.

"I guess I'm just lucky," Zena told her with a shrug.

She had to admit, she was pretty dang lucky. Any other living being would be trying to figure out an escape from this place. But here she was, trying to help out where she could. And of course programs saw that as a bad thing. Or maybe it was just Clu's army that saw it as a bad thing.

"Well, your luck just ran out." Without warning, Paige threw her disk. Zena raised her arms in a split second, narrowly avoiding getting sliced by Paige's disk.

Zena was quick to jump down one of the escape ladders as Paige charged after her. Most of the city was already on curfew, and any programs that were here were most likely Clu's soldiers.

She made a point to avoid anyone who looked like the black guard. Footsteps sounded from behind, and she looked over her shoulder in time to see that Paige was giving chase. With one roll of her eyes, Zena rounded the corner and hid in one of the alleys.

That was when she noticed something odd. Zena took a step back when she realized what it was.

Debris from some kind of explosion was scattered all over the place. She looked over her shoulder one more second before approaching the sight warily. Whatever had caused this explosion was powerful. Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully as she saw bits of code that was torn apart from the explosion. Either someone wanted this place gone, or they didn't want to be found.

"The Renegade did this," came an all too familiar voice. Zena froze and turned to see Paige standing in front of her. "He's caused too much damage for me to forgive him," she added, the anger in her voice getting stronger.

Zena glanced at the sight once more, noticing that there were pixels scattered around the area as well. She bit the bottom of her lip when she realized that these were the remains of _programs_.

"When did this happen?" she couldn't help asking.

"A few cycles ago," Paige explained. By now Zena could feel as though the threat was gone. Paige had already placed her disk on her back, ignoring the fact that she was vulnerable now. "Before you showed up."

"Why would the Renegade want to hurt programs," Zena began as she picked up bits and pieces of debris, "if he's been rescuing them from harmful situations." Paige only tilted her head to one side in confusion.

"Typical that a stray would support the Renegade," she scoffed. But Zena could hear the curiosity in her voice. "The Renegade sets out to destroy perfection. We're here to ensure the safety of fellow programs, but all he does is cause destruction."

Zena only shook her head in confusion. That didn't make any sense. She had seen bits and pieces of what had happened on the Grid, when the Renegade had caused so much trouble. According to the files he had killed someone known as Able, and a few other on his path of 'destruction'. What bothered Zena was that Beck _was_ the Renegade. And Beck, he had been good friends with Able. Why would he want to kill him?

"Sorry, but your accusations won't do you any good," she announced after turning to face the commander once more. "The Renegade didn't kill these programs, someone else did. Someone who has a bone or two to pick with him."

She nodded firmly at her words before looking down at the ground. If her theory was right, someone else was on the run from the Occupation. And that someone knew who the Renegade was.

"If what you say is true, than maybe you should come with me," Paige said with a smirk.

"Right, and I'm supposed to believe you won't just derezz me?" Zena scoffed with a roll of her eyes.

Paige was ready to say something else when Zena disappeared into the shadows once again. One way or another she was going to find out who was behind these deaths. Even if it killed her in the end.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Ah I'm having fun writing these chapters. Hopefully they're not too confusing or annoyingly slow for readers. I know that my writing tends to get that way :**

**2theSky - Thank you! And yep, she's learning the ropes ;)**

**Pirateweasel - XD Thanks, I appreciate the feedback. I try not to post lyrics on every chapter, because I know it can get annoying for readers to read all those italics all the time ^^**


	10. Chapter Nine

**Chapter Nine**

"_We were built by the hands of love, Redeemed in spite of what we've done, We are the spirit's dwelling place, And now, children of the light, Fight back darkness with delight, Lift your eyes up to His face, Let joy take temptation's place, Joy takes temptation's place..._"

She found herself returning to the garage after her encounter with Paige. Exhaustion had quickly crept in, but she was determined to find answers. By now everyone was either in sleep mode or up in their rooms. Or at least that was what she was hoping.

With a sigh her helmet slid over her face once more as she crept into the garage.

She had to find out what happened back there. The Renegade wasn't the one who had destroyed that building, or killed those programs. After witnessing all that Beck had done for everyone, and all of the sacrifices he'd made, she knew he wasn't capable of killing.

"Looking for something?" Zena froze in midstep when she heard that familiar voice. She turned in time to see Beck standing there, a small grin on his face as he looked at her.

_Thank God I'm wearing a mask_, she praised herself for thinking ahead.

"I'm looking for answers," she replied in a deeper voice, trying to keep it disguised.

"Aren't we all," Beck muttered with a shrug. Zena only rolled her eyes before leaning against the wall.

"You know what happened that day, when that shop was destroyed," she went on, ignoring the fact that he flinched when she mentioned the shop exploding. "And I know for a fact that the Renegade wasn't behind it. Care to elaborate?"

"I wasn't there when it happened," Beck snapped, sounding more irritated than anything else. But Zena caught on quickly, and noticed all too well that he was hiding something. "But I do know that Mara and Zed were there... they could have been hurt, or worse."

She didn't miss the bitterness in his voice. Zena held back a sigh when she realized he wasn't going to talk. At least not without some coaxing. And she wasn't in any hurry to get on his bad side. Not when she knew what he was capable of.

"Alright," she sighed at last and stood up. "Guess I'm done here." What Beck did next caught her by surprise.

"Here." Zena turned around in time to see him giving her a baton; she'd learned overtime that was what they were called. "You'll need it to get around," he added with the slightest grins.

Zena stared at him in disbelief before accepting it. She took off before he could say anything else, or figure out who she really was.

"_Open up our souls to feel Your glory, Lord, we are a desperate people, Your cathedrals, God, fill this space, Let joy take temptation's place, We will taste and see You as You are..._"

The moment she got out she eyed the baton, wondering how in the world they worked. Ivy had given her a few tips, but these weren't like the cycles used on the gaming Grid. She had seen what light cycles were like.

"Technically, I am old enough to drive," she said to no one in particular.

With that thought in mind, she pressed one button on the side of the baton and dropped it.

Her eyes widened in amazement as a white and purple light cycle rezzed up in front of her. Glancing over her shoulder, she hopped on and took a deep breath. Maybe if she learned how to drive here it wouldn't be so tough in the real world.

_If I ever get back_, she reminded herself.

Zena grasped her hands on the handle bar one moment, and the next she was zooming through the streets of Argon. She held back a scream of panic when she realized just how fast these things were. If she was caught by the occupation now she was done for.

In the back of her mind, she could picture Beck laughing his head off as soon as she took off. He probably wasn't even aware that she had never driven one of these before.

_Brakes, where the fudge are the brakes_? she thought desperately as she tried to stop. Every time a building came up in front of her she had to make a sharp turn. Good thing the turning radius was working.

Finally Zena managed to pull back on the handles, causing the bike to make a skidding stop. She was gasping for breath by the time it did stop, right near what looked like an ocean.

For a moment she let her helmet open so she could get a better view. It took a few seconds for her to realize that it wasn't the ocean. But it did look like one. She could still see bits and pieces of code mixed in with the inky blackish blue.

"Wow... I've never seen the ocean this close," she admitted as she got off. One press on the handle bars and the light cycle turned back into a baton. It was going to take some getting used to with this thing. But she liked it nonetheless.

"_Father, let Your kingdom come, Keep us from our lesser loves, Nothing else can satisfy, Like the joy found in Your eyes, There's joy found inside Your eyes, Your eyes, May we see You as You are_..."

...

(Beck's POV)

"Has anyone seen my baton?" Zed's question made everyone groan in annoyance. Beck tried not to smirk as he searched through the tool box. "I left it right here, how could it just vanish?"

"Maybe the Renegade took it again," Mara said in a teasing voice. Zed only folded his arms and glared at her.

"Not funny, Mara," he muttered.

"Lighten up, Zed," Beck spoke up for the first time. "You've got plenty of others you were working on."

"Yeah, but not like this one," Zed whined as he finished fixing the brakes on a light cycle. "I managed to increase the speed on it, and... well, I was kind of hoping to give it to someone as a gift."

Fortunately for Zed's sake, Mara wasn't listening. She had gotten caught in a conversation with Copper and Dash as the two programs worked on a tanker truck.

"Exactly how much faster was that light cycle?" Beck asked with renewed interest.

He did feel guilty for giving that program Zed's light cycle. But clearly they needed it more than he or Mara did. And Beck couldn't help but know that something was oddly familiar about that program.

"Basically, it's faster than a light jet," Zed replied. "Mara would've loved it... she loves going fast, especially on light cycles."

Beck held back a sigh of frustration once Zed was gone. Maybe giving away a light cycle baton wasn't one of his greatest ideas. But he couldn't just let that program go by without one. They had already helped them escape from the games.

"Hey Mara!" Mara looked at him in surprise before joining him. "You mind covering my shift for me today? I've got something that needs to be taken care of."

"Why not ask Zed?" Mara asked with a smirk, folding her arms suspiciously.

"He's not exactly in a listening mood," Beck replied with a shrug, looking over at where Zed was.

He was leaning over another light cycle, cleaning it as best he could. Mara nodded in understanding before turning back to her work station.

"I'll see what I can do," she reassured him. "But I'm not making any promises."

"Thanks, I owe you one!" Mara only smirked once more as he turned to leave.

"Where is he running to this time?" she wondered out loud.

...

It hadn't taken Beck long to follow the trail left by the light cycle. Burn marks could be made out on the ground where the program had obviously skidded. Judging by the marks they weren't exactly skilled at handling light cycles. All he had to do now was follow the trail, and hopefully find the program that had left it.

Maybe the program would be more than willing to help fight against the occupation. They were already fighting it in their own way. But he would have to be careful about how he approached the program. It was obvious they could defend themselves with ease. Which meant they could be dangerous.

"It's pretty, isn't it?" Beck nearly fell off his light cycle when he heard that voice. Glancing around, he hadn't realized until now that the tracks had led him to the Sea of Simulation. And standing in front of it was the same program that had approached him at the garage a millicycle ago.

"Uh, I'm not sure how to answer that," he stammered after trying to recollect himself. The program hadn't even turned to look back as they continued staring off into the distance.

"I never realized how similar our worlds were," they went on. "You have an ocean, we have an ocean... only ours is probably much bigger and full of life."

Beck took a step back when he heard that. What were they talking about? The only other world he could think of was the real world. Tron had mentioned it once or twice. But they never really talked about it.

"Wait, why would you say that?" Finally the program had turned to look at him.

"Wow, and here I thought you programs might be smarter," they muttered. This time they turned off their voice disguise, and Beck realized that the program was in fact female. "Programs keep mistaking me for a stray. Even Tron did."

Beck's eyes widened in amazement when he recognized her voice. She was the same girl who had been terrified of him when they first met. But somehow she was different.

"Well, what are you?" He turned his light cycle back into a baton as the program's mask slid off.

"You know, it's more fun to keep you guessing," she replied. Beck could have sworn it sounded like she was grinning.

Before he could say anything else, she rezzed her light cycle and took off, zooming past with a yelp. Once she was gone, Beck shook his head in confusion. Why did she have to make this so complicated? All he had wanted to do was figure out whether or not she was on his side.

"_And our hungry souls reach out to whatever fills us up, But we'll keep on falling down unless we fall in love, Our hungry souls reach out to whatever fills us up, But we keep on falling down until we fall in love, Lord, Lord, Lord_..."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yay for long chapters! And for them not being totally random. I'm definitely gonna have fun writing the next few chapters; but than again I have fun writing them all :)<strong>

**2theSky - She is isn't she? If only she would snap out of it :P**

**Lyrics come from the song Cathedrals by Tenth Avenue North**


End file.
